U-turn: Ford takes $US19.5b hit, retreats from EVs
Ford is backing away from plans to manufacture large electric vehicles, citing lacklustre demand.
auto trends
Electric shock: hybrids, not EVs, pose pedestrian risk
They may be quieter and heavier than petrol cars but electric vehicles are not more likely to crash into a pedestrian or to cause serious injury.
Aussies’ latest car choices are driving down pollution
The growing popularity of hybrid and electric cars is helping to reduce Australia's transport emissions but big, old cars are slowing progress.
Motorists pooh pooh petrol for low-emission options
Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles are closing the gap on their petrol rivals with sales figures showing a change in consumer sentiment.
Road tests show electric vehicles keep pulling up short
Battery-powered cars have been found using more energy than promised in independent tests, just like their petrol and diesel peers.
Second-hand car buyers are looking to save petrol too
Hybrid vehicles are not just popular with new car buyers, as figures reveal the low-emission models are making up more second-hand sales.
New entry about to make electric cars a lot cheaper
Australian motorists can expect to see more price competition in electric vehicles after one auto maker announced the cheapest model to date.
The vast and the curious: electric car expo shows range
Battery-powered sports cars, vans, SUVs and motorbikes will go on show in Melbourne but organisers say some attendees may need test drives to win them over.
New petrol cars could be outnumbered in two years
Australian drivers are buying more electric and hybrid vehicles than ever and experts say they are forcing down petrol and diesel car sales.
Petrol low as car buyers flock to hybrid and electric
More buyers of new vehicles are opting to save money on petrol with electric cars and hybrid models proving popular in the latest auto industry snapshot.
Hybrids, small SUVs revealed as unexpected gas guzzlers
Popular vehicles including petrol-powered SUVs and hybrids are exceeding their advertised fuel consumption by up to 21 per cent, tests have found.
Construction code delays risk pulling the plug on EVs
New homes will not need to be ready to charge electric vehicles after a freeze on the construction code, which some say will stall progress.
Pole position: contentious EV charging plan to go ahead
Power providers in one state will be allowed to install electric vehicle chargers on their power poles despite opposition to the proposal.
Ban on petrol, diesel vehicles urged as EVs set records
Motorists are buying electric vehicles in record numbers but uptake will need to speed up to meet climate targets and experts are calling for change.
Parcel-packing electric trikes to roll out by Christmas
Australia's largest electric fleet is expected to grow significantly with the introduction of three-wheeled vehicles capable of carrying more parcels.
Electric car U-turn puts low-emission options on track
Electric vehicles are quietly climbing the sales charts in Australia after a slow start to the year, but hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars remain popular.
Why 2026 could be the year cars drive down power prices
With three energy companies committed to trials and more automakers willing to back them, using your electric car as a battery should be possible soon.
Green deliveries to grow as electric trucks roll out
Another major logistics company will add electric trucks and vans to its fleet in a move the company says will appeal to environmentally aware consumers.
Self-driving car forecasts speed up after Tesla launch
Australia could become a major testbed for autonomous vehicles if efforts to develop a national set of road rules for their use are successful.
Ratings system to help drivers navigate road safety
How safe are the roads you regularly travel? A free online tool ranks most major arterial roads out of five stars and its maker plans to expand it.
Taking the wheel: drivers may soon supervise their cars
Self-driving cars are being tested on Australian roads but motorists and experts are divided about whether they will drive greater safety or greater problems.
Keep electric car tax cut, remove pollution instead
A tax exemption for electric vehicles could put another 1.5 million on Australian roads if it is extended to 2035, modelling shows, and cut carbon emissions.
Electric car safety check could spark second-hand sales
It is the most expensive and vital element of an electric vehicle and more companies are offering to test it to rev up the used car market.
Company accelerates electric truck parcel deliveries
Quiet and clean, if costly: an Australian delivery business says more companies should adopt electric trucks ahead of World EV Day.
Electric road fees push sparks-up to plug fuel tax gap
EV users are closer to paying road maintenance fees as the nation's treasurers meet to work out a way to fund a shortfall of drivers paying less excise on fuel.
Hybrid sales accelerate but diesel utes claim top spots
Hybrid and electric vehicles are closing the gap on their petrol and diesel equivalents in Australia but the race remains slow and steady.
Charge ahead: road taxes may be closer than they appear
A road user charge targeting electric vehicle drivers is gaining widespread approval but how it will work and when it will arrive remains up for debate.
Plug-in hybrids speed up, EVs slow down in record month
Australian drivers have broken car sales records but some vehicle types are proving significantly more popular than others.
‘Not good enough’: electric vehicles fail range claims
Both electric and petrol-powered vehicles are failing to meet advertised promises, on-road tests reveal, which experts say is unacceptable.
Electric goes large: low-emission utes, vans get a show
Utes that can be plugged in and vans that run on batteries have gone on show in Australia for the first time, which experts say is proof the market has moved.
Surprise gas guzzlers identified in vehicle road tests
Several popular cars consume more petrol than their manufacturers promise, tests show, and hybrid vehicles are among some of the worst offenders.